Rio Grande SW12000 with an curious feature.

[n2mopac]

I posted this question a couple of years ago on the MR forum and never really got a satisfactory answer. Recently someone on that forum brought that old thread back up and got my curiosity up again. Hopefully someone here can help me solve the mystery.

I am modeling BNSF and UP lines through Saginaw, TX. The ADM grain elevator there owns a former D&RG SW1200 (#134) for its own switching operations. This little switcher has what I can only call a protrusion or an extension of the hood on the area sloping down and back just in front of the cab. Here is a link to a pic of this locomotive with this little box.

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/drgw/drgw134ajs.jpg

There is also a very good picture of this loco with this feature in the July '04 issue of Trains on page 60 in the article about Saginaw, TXj. I am wondering what this feature represents. Is is original on certain SW1200's? Was it an optional feature that some railroads chose and others didn't ? I know other D&RD SW1200's had this, but no other SW1200's I have seen did. For instance, here is a link to a pic of a CN SW1200 thoat clearly does not have this box.

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/cn/cn1234ags.jpg

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your input.

Ron

[adrianspeeder]

Lehigh Valley had dynamic brake equipment that spot causing a square thingie to be there.

Adrianspeeder

[oltmannd]

Let's guess the DRGW unit has been modified to take "baggie" air filters. Doesn't look like the LV DB hump at all.

Any other guesses?

[espeefoamer]

That bulge doesn't look big enough to house DB equipment. Also there is no fan on top.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

It's definitely not for dynamic brakes. The d/b on an SW1200 (V-12 engine) would rise up to the roof level of the cab. The d/b on LV SW8's was much smaller since the SW8 has a V-8 engine and more space for the d/b equipment in the existing hood.

UP's TR5 cow-calfs were equipped with dynamic brake since they were initially assigned as helpers on Cajon Pass.

[Anonymous]

My guess would be it has an enlarged air filter.

[n2mopac]

I have seen SW1200's w/ dynamic breaks and the housing was much larger and more obtrusive than this. Also someone told me on the other forum (I cannot confirm nor deny this report) that D&RG SW1200's were not dynamic break equipped.

Ron

[ericsp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by n2mopac

I have seen SW1200's w/ dynamic breaks and the housing was much larger and more obtrusive than this. Also someone told me on the other forum (I cannot confirm nor deny this report) that D&RG SW1200's were not dynamic break equipped.

Ron

That was me. Whatever this thing is, it was not part of the locomotive originally. Notice that it is not there in this picture.
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/drgw/drgw134ags.jpg

[adrianspeeder]

Oooops.

Adrianspeeder

[ericsp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by adrianspeeder

Oooops.

Adrianspeeder

I want to make sure I am not being misunderstood. The reason why I posted "That was me" was so that the people people reading would know who say DRGW SW1200s did not have dynamic brakes. There is no need for oops.

[n2mopac]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ericsp

QUOTE: Originally posted by n2mopac

I have seen SW1200's w/ dynamic breaks and the housing was much larger and more obtrusive than this. Also someone told me on the other forum (I cannot confirm nor deny this report) that D&RG SW1200's were not dynamic break equipped.

Ron

That was me. Whatever this thing is, it was not part of the locomotive originally. Notice that it is not there in this picture.
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/drgw/drgw134ags.jpg

I have seen that pic also. Whatever it is, it seems to have been added to several D&RG SW1200's. Check out the other pics of Rio Grande SW1200s on fallenflags.org.

Ron